Vehicle owners’ donation to road accident victims’ fund mandatory

The owners of all kinds of vehicles, from truck to motorcycle, will have to donate a fixed amount as contribution to a government fund to compensate victims of road accidents.

The vehicle owners will have to pay the money during vehicle registration with the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) after purchase, according to the draft Road Transport Rules being formulated by the Road Transport and Highways Division (RTHD).

Then during every renewal of yearly fitness certificate or tax token, which comes first, the owners will need to pay an amount as well.

As the motorcycle owners do not need to renew fitness certificate and tax token, they will pay the amount one time during registration. The contribution to the financial assistance fund for road accident victims will vary depending on the types of the vehicles, according to RTHD sources.

The RTHD sources said the draft Road Transport Rules with this provision, among some others about fines and fees, will be finalised soon. The rule mainly deals with different fees, fines, charges and other procedures described in the Road Transport Act 2018.

The Road Transport Act 2018 will be fully implemented around three years after it came into effect with the framing of the rules.

“We will send the draft soon to the law ministry. We are now giving a final scrutiny,” RTHD secretary ABM Amin Ullah Nuri told this newspaper on Monday afternoon. The official declined commenting on the detailed fees and fines to be labeled under the rules.

According to sources, the rule will contain specific amount of various fines and fees, procedures of vehicle registration, fitness certification, ownership change etc.

Sources said, the Road Transport Act 2018 will undergo amendment very soon which will come after the rule frame. After the amendment is done, the authorities will bring some minor changes to the policy as well later.